June recap + July and August 2011 Hair Goals

JUNE GOALS
1. Leave my hair braided for the entire month. Didn't do it. But I don't feel bad because I listened to my hair and took them out before that setback had a chance to cause any more damage.

2. PERSONAL NO BUY!! My hair is in cornrows so even if I want to get something, it wouldn't make sense because I can't even use it until next month! Also this is a good way to save money Lmao failed this miserably. My logic went out the window on this one.

3. Drink 3 bottles of water daily. This works out to about 6 glasses. I don't care how I do it (chug at night or sip throughout the day) this NEEDS to be done! I'll say I won on this one. I definitely upped my water and fruit/veggie intake this month.

4. Use up *FIVE* products in stash Let see..I finished CHI Keratin Mist, a conditioner, a shampoo. That's alright I guess. I can't remember if I finished anything else. Next time I'll have to make a note of things I finished as I go along. OH! I gave my Lustrasilk mango and shea cholesterol and Cathy Howse UBH Deep Conditioner (good products, just my hair hated them) to my sister. Guess that counts?

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JULY/AUGUST 2011 HAIR GOALS (aka plans for the rest of summer 2011)

1. Reach midback length.
2. Use up ALL "extra" products in my stash. This means streamlining it down to 15 staples or less. I don't want to claim no-buy because it's not realistic for me lol! So for now I'll just be heavy-handed and get creative to use unloved products faster.
3. Relax in August. No sooner! (this will be tough)
4. Limited heat (minus my bangs). Flat iron once a month max, if that. Blow dryer is okay to use on cool.

I Wanna Relax + New Halfwig

Blended my own hair with a flat-twistout in the front then bobby-pinned it back. Wearing NYX eyeshadow in Golden ♥ and edges are slicked with ORS Edge control.

Texure...reminds me of a loose braidout

I finally broke in my new halfwig: Outre Tammy in color #2. Verdict? LOVE IT!!! It reminds me of my favorite sensational 7047. Which is still my favorite. But Tammy is a toned down, daytime version of  my favourite halfwig. Still big, still curly, but a little shorter and a looser curl pattern. It reaches BSL in the back.

 As for my own hair, it's doing well. I have a lot of new growth. So much that I wanna relax soon. I'm officially 8 weeks post and I was trying to go for 16 weeks or so. Right now I just wanna feel and see all this puffy (pretty) new growth turn into length -- via a relaxer. Hopefully my new purchases (halfwigs and a flat iron) will help me stretch longer.

I Got a New Flat Iron

So today I took a new route home from work and when I saw a store called "Beauty Supply Outlet" you know I had to stop in! The first thing I saw was an FHI Technique flat iron on sale :) As you may know I don't have a full-sized flat iron right now -- just a mini GVP iron from sally's that I use on my bangs. I decided to get it, what an impulsive buy lol. Original price is $139.99 and I got it for $79.99! Apparently it was actually supposed to be $99.99. Somebody's typo saved me $20 on top of the sale. Score :) Still expensive but honestly I don't mind investing in quality hair tools.

I've had a good experience with the FHI Technique flat iron in the past. To me, it's better than the CHI.

My only complaint/drawback about this iron is that it does not have a temperature setting. I know right?! Well the pros outweigh the con for me (silky/flowy results, gets to the roots, ceramic plates treated with tourmaline better for the hair etc). Plus I don't use heat often (length checks only) so hopefully the higher heat doesn't make too much of a difference.

Overall I'm looking forward to straightening my hair with this to post an actual review lol. But I'm in no rush. Loving my air dried styles and updos.

Summer Stash

Here are the products I'll be using this summer. For the most part I like these products. Some are long time staples. Some are new. Some I'm just trying to finish up.

Conditioners...I like all of these especially the Tresemme Naturals for co-washing because it doesn't contain silicones. The Aussie 3 min is a revisited hit and Queen Helene is my favorite cholesterol.

<3 these for my edges! alone or together

Moisturizers

Oils and serums...Not sure what to do with the Amla maybe I'll try oil rinsing with it. Probably won't repurchase the jojoba oil but for now I add it to my deep conditioners sometimes.
♥ JBCO, CHI Silk Infusion, Dabur Vatika oil, and One n Only Argan Oil ♥
Oh and I forgot to add peppermint oil to the pic. I add it to my DC's

Shampoo and Conditioner sets. I chose Herbal Essences Color My Happy for the scent (shampoo is to clarify and conditioner is for co-washes). The Creme of Nature Argan Oil is good and so is the One n Only Argan Oil shampoo and condish. The one n Only Argan Oil Restorative mask is awesome but I won't repurchase that until I finish some other DC's.

Accidental Twistout...I like :)

This morning I decided to moisturize my hair with Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Lemongrass Transitioning Creme. Then I sealed with Jamaican Black Castor Oil (lovelovelove this...instant softness and it's BEEN a staple so yeah). I was quite heavy handed because I just twisted each section (5 sections/twists per side), pinned them to my head, put a wig cap on then wore a halfwig all day while shopping. Tonight I just took down the twists, shook, and was pleasantly surprised: an extremely soft, moisturized, shiny twist-out!! So I experimented and took pics...

All down

Donut bun - Twisted my hair firmly around itself and secured it with a clip (Don't need to use a filler anymore...woop!)

Another view of same donut bun above

Goody Flex Barette

High messy bun with Goody comfort headband

Messy Bun

Southern Tease Bun

Ponytail

Wash Day [June 23]

Here's how today's wash looked like:
1) Shampooed with Creme of Nature Argan Oil Shampoo (I really like it so far). Also applied some HE CMH shampoo to the front of my hair (using a sulfate shampoo on my hairline helps keep breakouts under control)

2) DC'd with Creme of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment. This stuff has awesome slip. I like the consistency too (thick but still easily spreadable). What I liked the most about applying this DC is that  the product really absorbed into my hair. I used a lot (almost a quarter of the bottle in one session) but after applying it, I could barely see the conditioner in my hair. I could feel it, but it turned invisible. Like it was melting into my hair. Cool :)

3) Applied growth aid to scalp, and Fantasia IC gel to edges. Now air drying with a satin scarf. I didn't use a leave-in or moisturizer yet -- I'll put some on in the morning when my hair is almost fully dry. I dunno if it was the CON conditioner or the fact that I did a long DC session with heat for the first time in forever -- but my hair feels extremely soft ♥

Notes/Random Thoughts...
* I'm keeping combing to a minimum
* I left the DC on for a couple hours, and using a heating cap for most of the session.
* I'm officially 7 weeks post relaxer as of today :)
* I might just revisit S-Curl. That stuff gave me a lot of moisture back in the day. In the meantime, Donna Marie Super Buttercreme, Giovanni direct leave-in and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie are on my wish list.

The Stretch Begins...

I believe stretching my relaxer touchups is one of the most important things that contributed to my length and thickness retention. So I'm going for a 4 month stretch this time around. I'm currently 6 weeks post...

One inch of new growth. I'm trying to go until August.

This stretch I will be:

• Keeping moisture/protein in check by alternating btwn protein DC's and co-washing
• Use a wide tooth comb as little as possible
• Use Darcy's botanicals transitioning creme on my new growth often
• Take garlic to minimize shedding
• Listen to my hair..ultimately if my hair is breaking and shedding like crazy, I'll get a relaxer
• Listen to my hair part 2...if my new growth co-operates then maybe I'll even stretch longer. Because right now I'm loving my natural hairline in the pics
• Protective styling to the max but still experiment with no-heat styles
• Always washing hair standing up in the shower...I hate shower hopping but the tangles I get from washing my hair upside down in the tub/sink are simply not worth it

On my edges is Fantasia IC Gel with ORS Edge Control on top. Lasts all day great combo.

Why grow long just to hide it?!

I was lurking in a thread on LHCF and in one post, someone couldn't understand why so many women grow their hair long just to hide it all the time.Well for me:

1. I'm not done growing yet. I have a few more inches until I reach my final goal of waist length. Just because I gained a lot of length from where I started doesn't mean I'm going to ditch the protective styling that got me here.

2. To me, protective styling is like wearing a bra. It keeps everything contained and in place -- which is best for the long run. Sometimes I just like to let my hair free from the contraints but most of the time I feel comfortable and supported with my hair secured with something.

3. With the weather getting warmer, I just love to keep my hair up to keep me cool. And in the winter I keep it up so it doesn't get caught/rub against harsh materials.

4. I'm growing my hair for myself. I know what my ends look like and I know how long it is. That's all that matters. I don't feel a need to "show it off"

5. I love the surprise factor of added length after stretching/hiding my hair for a long time

So for all these reasons, I like protective styling :) Maybe when I reach my final goal I'll wear it down all the time. Who knows. But until then: up it goes and down it grows!! (that was so corny LOL)

Protective Styling Haul

Morgan Claw Clip (its sorta different from a regular claw clip...the teeth lay flat against the head instead of the traditional claw clip with curved teeth that hurt)

Morgan Claw Clip...secure and comfy

Today I invested in some Goody hair accessories:

• Ouchless Flex Barrette
• Ouchless Flex No-squeeze comfort headband
• Spin Pin mini's
• Ouchless Gentle Elastics w/ no metal parts
• Morgan Claw Clips

Can you tell I'm serious about protective styling this summer :D I'm looking forward to sharing pics with all the buns and updos I create with these.

What's your favorite hair accessory?

Today's Wash Day

Here's what I did:
1. Shampooed with CON Argan Oil Shampoo
2. Deep conditioned w/ Queen Helene Cholesterol for 45 mins (shower cap)
3. Lightly oiled and massaged scalp
4. Leave-in: CHI Keratin Mist
5. Moisturizer: Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme
6. Now air drying w/ a satin scarf

Thoughts:
- While applying the QH Cholesterol I noticed something strange. It was getting really creamy and foamy so I double checked the ingredients and to my surprise this product contains SLS as the 5th ingredient. I have no idea why a conditioner would contain a sulfate. But I don't mind because the product is very thick so if a little SLS can help it rinse clean, I'm all for it.

- CHI Keratin Mist is running low. Going back to Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin Reconstructurizer when it's completely finished. 

- Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme is some good stuff. I can't get enough of the scent. Nice consistency and very moisturizing at first but it does kind of dry with "hold" which as a relaxed head I don't want. Maybe it'll be good for braid-outs. I have the sample right now so when it's done I'll see if I wanna get the regular size or go with something cheaper with better ingredients.

First Impression: CON Argan Oil Shampoo

Soo in case you were out of the loop, the company who makes Creme of Nature Detangling Conditioning shampoo (better known as the green label one) decided to add sulfates to it. And after they realized their sales went in the toilet afterward, they gave us back the original with a twist: Creme of Nature Moisture & Shine Shampoo.

I rinsed my hair thoroughly with water then applied the shampoo generously to my hair and scalp. It lathered very well considering all the different products and oils I caked on during the week. Rinse and repeat. This shampoo doesn't have as much slip as the old formula. But it did cleanse and lather well for a sulfate-free shampoo. The actual argan oil is towards the middle of the list, so it's not super argan-y and the ingredients aren't great (I can't pronounce some of them).

Overall I have a decent first impression. I'm a fan of the face-lift (I stan for Argan oil) but honestly I think they would have been better off just returning to the original ingredients. Not everyone is into the Argan Oil hype, and some people are allergic to it.

Ingredients: Aqua, Trideceth-7, Carboxylic Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Glycol Stearate, Polyquarternium-10, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Quaternium-15, Perfum (Fragrance), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 14700 (Red4), CI19140 (Yellow 5).

Moisturize for waves

Today I went to Honeyfig and picked up Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Lemongrass Transitioning Creme. I used it on my new growth and I had to share the results!

...an inch of new growth

..and NO gel!!


At honeyfig the associate (Shontelle) recommended Darcy's Botanicals Transitioning Creme because I stretch my relaxers and was looking for a good moisturizer with no protein. She put some on my nape and it felt super soft and moisturzed. My nape never felt like that before lol no lie. So I got it for $22CAD. Friggin expensive. I also got a sample of shea moisture shampoo and DC which I gave to my friend.

So yeah, for moisturized defined, waves/new growth -- moisturize it! Maybe you guys already knew that. I sure didn't until now. Before, I would just apply moisturizer to my hair focusing on the ends and hope that it would find it's way to my new growth. Guess I gotta be more heavy handed :) Hope this post helps someone!!

Random Hair Thoughts/Hair Babble

Inspired by http://www.justgrowalready.com/ :) Awesome blog, check her out!

•  Even though I'm happily relaxed, I often watch natural youtube videos and tutorials. There aren't that many longer-haired (APL+) relaxed youtubers left :(

• I'm pretty happy with my product stash right now. I like most of the products I have. Still have a few things I need to use up (such as Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum and Redken Heat Glide. To me, CHI Silk Infusion is better than both of these products). I still have some random conditioners to use up but by the end of summer I should have my staples down pat (that is, if I ever stop hauling)

• I got a sample of Miss Jessie's baby buttercreme and I'm still experimenting with it. At $40 a full-size jar, my pockets are hoping that I don't like this product. However I do want to try Curl Junkie Hibiscus and banana honey butta leave-in and/or Darcy's botanical lemongrass and coconut transitioning cream. Am I transitioning? no. Am I product junkie? perhaps

• I'm sick of halfwigs already. Today on my way home from work, I went to the bathroom, took off my wig and styled my hair into a southern tease bun using 4 bobby pins. Much more comfortable (both mentally and physically...something about wearing my own hair makes me feel more confident). So I'm gonna be bunning it until I miss my wigs. lol what a cycle

• I have quite a bit of new growth for only 5 weeks post. But I'm not relaxing until August, or full without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt midback length. Whichever comes first :) Speaking of MBL, I'm not really hawking over my exact length. Cornrows have taught me that I don't need to see or comb my hair every day. I do know it's grown a bit since the beginning of the month for sure. and my scalp is super itchy. Growth spurt? Hope so.

•  I need to buy scissors to do search and destroys! Haven't trimmed in over a year...yikes 

• One n Only Argan oil shampoo is letting me down for real!!! That stuff is way too thick to be taken seriously! Maybe I got a bad batch because I don't remember the sample being so thick and jelly/gummy. Anyone else have this prob?

Just a few things..

So I'm totally failing at my June no-buy challenge lol. I picked up a few items on my way home from work today

Creme of Nature Moisture and Shine Shampoo w/ Argan Oil, Creme of Nature Intensive Conditioning Treatment w/ Argan Oil

Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream (repurchase)

And some hair pins :)

I stan for argan oil products + I loved the old formula of CON shampoo. So I have high hopes for the shampoo. I've also read good things about the intensive conditioning treatment.

As for my hair, it's feeling really great. Today I just moisturized with Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier and sealed with Vatika oil. Will be baggying overnight and bun tomorrow. Oh and I want to get some hair accessories to make my buns cute..like banana clips, goody accessories, and ouchless bands.

Brahmi Pre-Poo

Benefits of Brahmi Powder:
- Cools the scalp and induces sound sleep
- Controls dandruff
- Makes hair long, dark, Dense & lustrous
- Strengthens hair roots

After the setback, I decided to pamper my hair with Ayurveda this weekend.

Brahmi powder + water. it was a little runny in this pic so I added more powder to make it more of a brownie mix consistency

Applied to hair and then loose twist.

At this point, my hair feels very strong -- but dry. So I decided to apply Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner to my hair on top of the brahmi. This really helped to add slip and moisture. I really really really like this conditioner by the way (been using it for 2 weeks and half the bottle is done lol) because it is inexpensive, has no cones, good slip and no protein. Perfect for frequent co-washes if you ask me. Glad Tresemme listened and delivered a great product!

If I could describe the Brahmi process in one word: MESSY! After I applied it to my whole head, I put on a shower cap and let it sit for a few hours. Which is what I'm doing as I type this so I'll update this post with the results after I wash it out. By the way this stuff smells like a mix between wet soil and teabags if anyone's curious lol.

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Rinsed the mixture out of my hair and my hair felt like I had done a color rinse. Very strong/hard/tangly. So I shampooed (2x) with HE CMH Shampoo. Hair was even dryer so I conditioned with Joico Intense Hydrator for 3 mins and as expected, that stuff softened my hair right up. After that, I towel blotted and applied Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier (this was my first time using, I wasn't wowed but in all fairness my hair was still kinda hard from the Brahmi treatment. It took some rubbing in to make it absorb, but once it dissolved my hair did feel better). After a little Fantasia IC Gel on the edges, I am now air drying with a satin scarf. Whew!

After Brahmi treatment (5 weeks post)

Overall the Brahmi experience has made me curious about Henna. Ayurvedic powder pre-poos are something I could see myself adding in my regimen. But I would only do it once a month because honestly the process took a long time and was extremely messy. But overall it was a good treatment and I noticed my hair got a little darker.

update: Okay now that my hair is dry, it feels extremely soft, light and strong at the same time. Still smell the brahmi which is fine. This treatment is a keeper but I won't do it often (messy and time consuming).

Small Setback

Ok so my last post was talking about how I miss my hair so I decided to take down my cornrows last night. They have been in for a few days shy of 2 weeks. They were extremely loose from all the co-washing and DCing so my braids felt like they were starting to matt and tangle. Last night I was tired and impatient which was probably a big mistake to touch my hair. Anyway, on one of the braids I was having some trouble removing the tiny elastic I secured the ends with...well after some poking and prodding with the tip of a rat tail comb and scissors, the elastic came out..........and so did about an inch of my hair SMH. Also, after detandling I found a small knot that was NOT budging...it felt extremely hard and nothing was working to loosen it. So I ended up cutting it:

 For reference, this is how long the rest of my hair is in that section:

What I learned: Don't touch my hair when I'm tired and impatient. I will continue protective styling for the summer paying attention to the areas that broke. But I probably won't be cornrowing under my halfwigs any time soon (although I did notice good length retention in the short time I had them in). Instead I'll just do regular braids/plaits under my halfwigs.

Honeyfig Store + I Miss My Hair :(

Today I went to the Honeyfig store here in Toronto. It carries all types of natural hair products like Kinky Curly, Carols Daughter, Miss Jessies, Jane Carter, Darcy's Botanicals, Tropic Isle, Curl Junkie etc etc etc. One thing I like about the store is that they are always available to help and give advice (not that I need advice lol, I always do my research beforehand). As a product junkie, I felt a sense of euphoria LOL. Living in Canada, it's really hard to find raved-about products so I'm glad I can get them here as opposed to getting stuff online.

Anyway, a lady walked into the store looking for grease. The sales associate told her grease is bad because it contains petroleum and mineral oil etc; and she also talked about how sulfates are bad because they strip your hair of moisture etc. I'm glad Honeyfig people educate women on better hair care practices :) warms my heart a little.

Ok so the sales associate that was helping me has been natural for 2.5 years (her hair looked full APL) and she recommended good products for transitioning hair: Jessicurl's weekly deep treatment and Darcy Botanicals coconut lemongrass transitioning cream. She also recommenced the Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme for me. I ended up buying a sample -- it smells SOO good. There is only 2oz in the jar and it was $12...that's NUTS. They ship from the states and the overhead cost gets passed on to the consumer which is understandable...but still I couldn't resist. My no-buy goal for June is technically failed, but I don't feel bad because it is only a sample

Speaking of cornrows...I MISS MY HAIR!! I miss washing it and applying conditioner and moisturizing and sealing. I miss being able to throw it up in a messy bun. Hopefully all this wigging pays off and I'm full without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt MBL by the end of summer. The only thing that sucks is I can't use it until I take out my cornrows. But I'll try it out on my leave-out in the mean time.

Oh back to the baby buttercreme...the girl who cashed me out looked familiar. It turns out I'm subscribed to her on youtube and we have the same name lol. Isn't that crazy.

Don't touch my products!!

Am I the only one who's slightly possessive over their hair stuff?? Yesterday I came home and I noticed someone was definitely in my room. Products re-arranged tufts of hair in my wide tooth comb gave it away. Well I did a quick mental check and I realized my beloved CHI Silk Infusion was missing!!! It's fine if my sister uses some, but it's a different story when she decides to hide the entire bottle.  Am I over-reacting?? How do you feel when people touch your hair stuff?

To-Do at Final Goal Length

Well after I do my happy dance LOL...

1. Simplify regimen for maintenance mode. If my product-junkiesm ever stops, I can see myself sustaining a regimen with cheap conditioner and coconut oil lol

2. Make the biggest braid out of my life! I love braid-outs and braid-out buns!!

3. Experiment with color (clip in highlights?)

4. Experiment with hairstyles (maybe I can get the hang of bantu-knot outs)

5. Burn my halfwigs

6. Invest in good quality hair scissors to keep ends in a U-shape

7. Get a good flat iron and clamp-less curling wand (if I don't have one by then)

8. Get hair done at the salon more often, wear my hair down more often and just enjoy it.
 

9.  Take a billion pics (professional photo shoot??)

10. NOTE TO SELF: don't do anything out of boredom!! No shaving the side of my head, platinum blonde, drastic cuts, or anything else, no matter how amazing/beautiful it looks on others!!
 

Hopefully I can get to my final goal of waist length by the end of this year. I have about 4 inches to go, so it's possible!! But I'm still giving myself until my graduation day in April 2012 :) And when I get to my goal, that does NOT mean my hair journey is over. I'll most likely keep experimenting and blogging about new products, hair styles and new techniques to help and encourage others. So far my journey has been awesome, and I'm ready to get to longer lengths :]

June 2011 Hair Goals

In a post inspired by Shika (see her awesome blog here http://www.hairiamworld.com) I decided to think of some June 2011 goals/plans for myself. So in addition to sticking to my cornrow regimen 100%...

1. Leave my hair braided for the entire month.

2. PERSONAL NO BUY!! My hair is in cornrows so even if I want to get something, it wouldn't make sense because I can't even use it until next month! Also this is a good way to save money

3. Drink 3 bottles of water daily. This works out to about 6 glasses. I don't care how I do it (chug at night or sip throughout the day) this NEEDS to be done!

4. Use up *FIVE* products in stash

"What do you do to your hair"

When I get this question in real life, I tend to give entirely too much info! I have good intentions and I want to be as helpful as possible but at the same time I do not want to overwhelm people or turn them into product junkies. My overall hair plan for this year is to protective style (primarily with halfwigs) during the summer until I reach MBL. Then with a new semester of school in the fall I will ditch the halfwigs and rock my own MBL hair. Just some background...where I live (Toronto) a lot of the black girls have wigs, weaves and lacefronts. The girls who choose to rock their own hair are usually between EL-NL. Shoulder length max. I barely ever wear my hair down and most people haven't seen my hair down on a regular basis since it was shoulder length. So I guess everyone thinks I'm bald under here? LOL are they in for a surprise...

I created a topic on LHCF about this. Most of the LHCFers say they say something really simple ("I just use conditioner") and keep it moving. Although this doesn't waste energy on people who don't have a real interest in taking care of their hair, I think to some newbies this can come off as too vague to be remotely helpful. And of course vagueness can make people think you're holding out a secret. I remember having no clue about hair care and in high school and I asked this girl (black, relaxed, APLish but it was extremely fairytale LONG to everyone back then haha). Well I asked her what she does and she said "nothing". I thought she was the biggest hair snob ever. I ended up finding out that she does regular hot oil treatments. It's all good though because her snobbery motivated me to find answers. I did a google search, found BHM and the rest is history.

So now that I'll be wearing my hair down more, I am preparing my answers from now! I will most likely start with the basics and say more detail as the person shows genuine interest. I'll start off with "I wash and DC weekly, limit heat use, and keep my hair up most of the time." Then the rest I'll go with the flow. For example if they are relaxed I'll mention that I stretch my touch-ups. And if they are truly interested and have more questions than I have answers, I always always ALWAYS direct them to LHCF!

Speaking of LHCF, my subscription ended today. I no longer use PayPal and I'm not exactly sure how or when I'm going to renew. For now I'll focus on updating this blog more frequently!